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Dec. 10, 1929. G. D. BRADSHAW STEAM SEPARATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 1926 w m w 0 n" m .u n I I ll.

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Dec. 10, 1929'. G. D. BRADSHAW STEAM SEPARATOR Filed June 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W\ llll I/vvE/vroR GPHNT DB PADSHAW a I 1 I I u n u 1 I I 0 I l a I I q I a a I 0 TORNEY Patented Dec. 10, 1929 UNITED s'rAras PATENT castes GRANT n. BRADSHAW, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MEsNE As- SIGNMEN'IS, T VIBLAW-KNOX COMPANY, or. BLAWNOX, rnNNsYLvANm, A coaro- BATION or NEWEIERSEY STEAM SEPARATOR Application filed June 7, 1926. Serial No. 114,063.

This invention relates to fluid separators,

particularly to fluid. separators .which are.

very long compared with their capacities and which are composed of several units or sections. The object of the invention is to equalize the pressure in various portions of the separators and to eliminate eddy currents and localcurrents of gas, steam or liquids, in certain portions of the separator or from one portion of the separator to another. Although my invention applies to various types of separators, yet for the purpose of clearly disclosing the same I have illustrated and described ita's applied to the type of steam separator known in the trade asv the Tracy steam purifier, particularly when that type of separator is installed in a steam boiler for the purpose of drying and otherwise purifying the steam.

Of the drawingsFig. 1 is an end view of a unit fluid separator or purifier which embodies the features of my invention, with a portion of the end plate broken away; Flg. 2 is a section of the purifier along the line '2-2 of'Fig. 1, showing a portion of another unit; Fig. 3 is-a reduced end view of the separator; Fig.4 is a reduced elevation'of a purifier mounted in a boiler for operation, the purifienconsisting of 6 sections; and

.Fig. 5 is an enlarged central sectional view of a portion of the purifier similar to Fig. 4 comprising? sections only.

The separator which I have illustrated is ordinarily installed in a steam boiler 10 and the separator comprises a casing 11 which forms the exterior portion of the separator.v

To thiscasing are attached cartons or banks 12 of bafiles 13 which dry and purify the steam as it passes from the boiler through the bafiles to the interior chambers. From the separator the steam passes out of the,

boiler through an outlet 14 which is con-' nected to the steam supply main of the boiler. The steam passes from the baffles 13 into the interior chamber 15, through the slot passageway 16, into the interior conduit 17, and thence into the separator outlet 8 and theboiler outlet 14. A I

. The interiorconduit 17 is enclosed by walls 18, forming its sides, and a bottom 19, and

in Fig. 4 which illustrates three sections on one side of the outlet and corresponding sections on the other side of the outlet. The slots 16 extend substantially the full length of each section and'form inlets for the steam passing from the chamber 15 to the chamber 17. The baflies extend substantially from the steam outlet 8 to the remote end of the fartherest section. The steam. however, entering this slot inlet 16 must all pass through the conduit 17 to the outlet 8.

As a consequence of this arrangement, there is a tendency for the steam to pass through the baflles more rapidly as the outlet is approached, because of the back pressure generated in the chamber 17 being less nearer the outlet. To offset this it has been found desirable to taper the slot inlet 16 by decreasing the width of the slot as the outlet is ap- V walls 18 of the interior steam chamber terminate a material distance from the outer end of the section most remote from the outlet, as indicated in Fig. 5. In this way the rate offiow through the baffles in the different sections is more nearly equalized.

With long separators, particularlythose composed of several sections 21, as they have been'made' in the past, eddy currentsare likely to be set up by pockets or recesses in the sides of-the inner conduit 17 The ends of the sections which are connected have end plates 55, with openi gs 33 in their central 1 over the chamber is a plate 20 which is old portions, so as to form a passageway from one chamber 17 to the next. It is usual to form the ends of the separators with the outer projecting flanges 35 between which are gaskets 36 to prevent leakage into the interior of the separator. To eliminate the pockets or recesses 342 where the two ends of the sections abut, I provide inner flanges 37 and 38 and 39, which extend to the gaskets and which are substantially flush with the inner surfaces of the conduit 17, thus eliminating the recesses which would otherwise be formed between the ends of the conduits of each pair of sections. In this manner the steam entering the separators through the inlets 16 into the inner conduits flows without disturbance along the conduits to the outlet. 8 of the separator, thus. eliminating eddy currents and more uniformly distributing the back. pressure in the conduitso as to more: uniformly equalize the flow through the. inlets 16 and thus through the purifying baffles.

To further equalize the pressure throughout, the entire length of the separator I provide openings 40 in the partitions 4-1 in the abutting ends of the separators, so that the steam, in the passageways 15 surrounding the inner conduit 17 is at liberty to flow freely from one section 21 of the separator to another withoutpassing into the inner conduit. If, for instance, the pressure in these outer passageways in the section most remote from the outlet 8 is greater than the pressure in a section nearer the outlet, there will be a flow of steam, from the remote section to the nearer one, in the passageway 15,.and this will reduce the back pressure in the remote section and will allow the. steam to flow more freely through the bafiies into that section, and thus will produce more uniform flow through the'baflles. It will, of course, be obvious. that, in producing uniform flow through the baflles, it is immaterial. whether.

the, steam, after passing through the baffles, flows towards the outlet 8 through the outer passageways 15 or the inner conduit 17 On the. other hand, if the flow through the battles adjacent the outlet is hindered. too much by the back pressurethere will. beatendency for the steam to. flow outwardly inthe. passageway 15 until it passes into; the inner conduit, thus. also equalizing the, flow through the baflles. I

As is. well. understood, it is: common in separators to have drain pipes. 50 to. carry off the water. which is separated from: the steam and which flows downwardly from the ballies into the water passageway 51.. This separated water flows from. each section into. a manifold drain pipe 52,. and thus outofthe boiler if desired. I havefoundtha-t there may be local. currents set. upinthese drain pipes and. the passageways. 51 owing presumably to variousvariations in steam or air pressure. at, different points,.and partly, perhaps-,

to the entrained steam which at times is carried downwardly into the drain pipe. These local currents may interfere with the cap acity of the water system and may be otherwise objectionable. Equalizing the pressure, in the manner 'hereinabove described-,tends to assist in eliminating these local currents, and I have found it desirable, in some cases. to provide openings 53 in the, partitions 5a at the ends of'the sections, so that the water or the steam is at liberty to how from one section to another through theseopenings and the pressure in the various passageways 51 is thus substantially equalized. I

It is to be understood that the sections or units21 of the'separtor are-connectedtogether by means of flanges, 55 and that eachsec i s A a end of the series, aniinner-longitudlnal steam.

conduit extending substantially from oneend to the other of said series of units,.theinner surfaces of each of the side walls of said conduit extending continously from one end: to the other and inzsubstantially the same plane.

2. A steam separator according to claim 1 in which steam purifying, baffles are-mounted outside of said conduit andv extendfrom substantially one end to the other and are spaced away from, said conduit, whereby a. passageway is formed between. said. bafiles and said inner conduit. i

3. A steam separator according to claim 1, in whichthe steam conduit of each unitv has. a steam inlet. running substantially from one end to the other of said. unit, the side walls of said conduit terminating a mate-- rial. distance'from the end of] theconduit most remote from said outlet.

4. A steam separator according to claim 1, in which steam urifying battles are mounted outside. of said conduit; and extend from substantially one end to the other and are spaced away from. said conduit, whereby a passagewayis formed between saidbafiiesrand 1 said inner conduit, said passageway being continuous from substantiallyoneendto the I other ofsaidseparator I 5. A steam. separator comprising; a plu= rality'of unit casingsconnectedend to end: in series, each: of said casings having; an end. plate by means of which saidzunitsiare cone nected, each of the end plates: whichis? cone nected: to: another en pla ehaving an p ing through its central portion, inner flanges surrounding said opening and projecting an gularly outwardly a material distance from the end plate and registering with similar flanges on the end plate of the adjacent casing, the inner surfaces of said flangesbeing substantially flush with the edges of said openings.

6. A steam separator according to claim 5, in which outer flanges project outwardly from the outer edges of said end plates, and other flanges projecting outwardly from each end plate, said other flanges extending transversely from the outer ends of the respective top and bottom flanges surrounding said opening to the said flanges on the outer edges of said plates, said end plates having openings therethrough on each side of said central opening between said outer and inner I flanges.

7 A gas separator comprising a plurality of unit casings connected end to end in series, each of said casings having an end plate by means of which it is connected to an end 7 plate of an adjacent casing, each of the end plates so connected having an opening through its central portion registering with the corresponding opening of the adjacent end plate, and each of said end plates having an opening at one side of said central openinq registering with the corresponding opening'in the adjacent end plate.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto set my hand.

GRANT D. BRADSHAW. 

